The Growth Stop Phenomenon Of Baobabs ( Adansonia Spp.) Identified By Radiocarbon Dating

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The article discloses the AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon dating results of the pedunculate oak of Botoşana. Four wood samples were extracted from its trunk. Five segments extracted from these samples were analyzed by AMS radiocarbon. Their radiocarbon dates were found to be between 161 ± 21 BP and 260 ± 20 BP. These values correspond to calibrated ages of 235 -365 years. The dating results extrapolated to the geometric center of the trunk indicate an age of 645 ± 50 years for the oak of Botoşana.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocarbon investigation of the pedunculate oak of Botosana, Romania

Patrut¹,

Robu²,

Savu³

et al. 2018

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“…The research is based on our novel methodology, which is not limited to demised specimens, but also allows to investigate and date live individuals. This original approach is based on AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon dating of tiny wood samples collected from inner cavities, deep incisions/entrances in the trunk, fractured stems and from the outer part/exterior of the trunk/stems of large baobabs [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. We found that typically, all large African baobabs are multistemmed and preferentially exhibit ring-shaped structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Radiocarbon investigation of a superlative grandidier baobab, the big reniala of Isosa

Patrut¹,

Patrut²,

Pock-Tsy³

et al. 2019

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The article discloses the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating results of the Big Reniala of Isosa, which is a massive Grandidier baobab (Adansonia grandidieri Baill.) of Madagascar. The investigation of this baobab shows that it consists of 5 perfectly fused stems and exhibits a cluster structure. The calculated wood volume of the tree is 540 m 3 , which makes the Big Reniala of Isosa the largest individual of all Adansonia species and also the biggest known angiosperm in terms of volume. Several samples were collected from the outer part of the stems. The oldest dated sample had a radiocarbon date of 934 ± 24 BP, which corresponds to a calibrated age of 845 ± 25 years. This value indicates an age of 1000 ± 100 years for the big Reniala of Isosa.

“…We also identified the presence of false cavities, which are large natural empty spaces between several fused stems disposed in a closed ring-shaped structure, which have never been filled with wood [9][10][11][12][13]. The oldest dated A. digitata specimens were found to have ages greater than 2000 yr [14,15]. Dated growth rings of several African baobab specimens act as a proxy climate archive and have been used for past climate reconstruction in southern Africa [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Final Radiocarbon Investigation of Platland Tree, the Biggest African Baobab

Patrut¹,

Woodborne²,

Patrut³

et al. 2017

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ABSTRACT. The article discloses the main results of our new investigation of Platland tree, a.k.a. Sunland baobab, the largest known African baobab. Our recent research was motivated by the three successive splits of 2016 and 2017, which determined the collapse and demise of the stems that have built the main unit of the tree. According to our new findings concerning the architecture of large and old baobabs, we established that Platland tree has a double closed-ring shaped structure and consists of two units/rings that close two separate false cavities. The larger unit was composed of five fused stems, out of which four toppled and died, while the fifth stem is already broken. The smaller unit, which is still standing, consists of three fused stems. We also determined that the larger unit had an age of 800 yr, while the smaller unit is 1100 yr old.